Key cutting machine



A ril 19, 1938-. F. M. GODDARD 2,114,597

KEY CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1957 Patented Apr. 19, 1938 umrso STATES smear GFFlQE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to a key cutting machine and has for its principal object the provision of a simple accurate, highly efficient, mechanism which can be used either for duplicating keys or for cutting a key from its code number where the duplicate is not available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a code setting device which will be absolutely accurate as to both position and depth; which will be substantially automatic in operation; which will not depend upon the skill of the operator; and which will be simple to use and "fool proof in operation.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:- 7 i Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the complete key cutting machine with the preferred form of code setting device in place thereon.

Figs. 2 to 8 inclusive illustrate alternate forms of code setting devices which can be employed with the machine of Fig. 1. These will be more fully described in the following specification.

The machine comprises: a main frame It provided at its bottom with a table or bench clamp l i by means of which the frame may be attached to any suitable supporting surface. The frame supports a relatively long, shaft bearing 12 in which a cutter shaft I3 is journalled. The cutter shaft i3 terminates at one extremity in a key milling cutter Hi and at its other extremity in a hand crank 15.

The frame it also provides a second hearing it positioned parallel to the first bearing I2. The second bearing acts as a journal for a key clamp shaft H which is both rotatably and slidably mounted in the bearing it. One extremity of the shaft I1 carries a clamp frame I8 designed to carry a pattern clamp Iii and a duplicate clamp 20. The clamps i8 and 25! are similar to each other and each is provided with a clamp screw it for clamping a fixed plate against the frame it to clamp a key therebetween.

The clamp I9 is designed for holding the key to be duplicated and the clamp 2|] is designed for holding a key blank.

A pointed follower 22 is supported upon a fol- (Cl. Elli-13.05)

lower arm 23 on the frame I so that its point is v positioned at a point opposite the key clamp l9 corresponding to the position of the edge of the key cutter it relative to the clamp 20.

The key clamp I9 is formed with a handle preferably of the pistol grip type, as shown at 2 to facilitate the guiding of the frame It.

-It can be readily seen that if a key is placed in the clamp 59 and a key blank is placed in the clamp 20 the cutter it will mill a pattern from the blank corresponding to the pattern of the key sample. The movement of the frame 28 toward and along the cutter is directed by the contour of the key in the clamp i 9 as it moves against the follower 22.

As thus far described the device forms an ideal key duplicating machine. It is also designed, however, for the manufacture of keys, where the original keysare not available, from the original key code number.

One means for accomplishing this is to mount a code setting disc 25 on a suitable pivot shaft 25 projecting from the frame Ill. The disc 25 rotates in a plane parallel to the axis of the cutter shaft H, and is provided with a series of sockets 21 of predetermined depths and predetermined spacing.

The sockets 21 are preferably arranged on radial lines from the pivot shaft fit so as to form a plurality of series of sockets, four being shown in the drawing. Each series is numbered as indicated by 28. The depth of the sockets in the different series of sockets varies, but the sockets of each series are of uniform depth.

For instance, the sockets in series 1 are comparatlvely shallow whereas those in series 2, and l successively increase in depth, the deepest sockets being in series 4. The sockets in each series are spaced from each other to correspond to the spacing of the tumbler notches on the key to be cut.

A gauge pin 29, supported by an arm 3% from the key clamp 20, is positioned so that it can be swung into any desired socket of a series by proper movement of the frame i8.

Let us assume that it is desired to cut a key in which the first groove will have a depth of 1", the second groove a depth of 3, the third a depth of i and the fourth a depth of 2. The

disc 25 is turned to bring series 1 opposite the pin 29, the frame IB is slid to the right so that the pin 29 is positioned opposite the first socket of the series, as shown in Fig. 1. The handle 24 is now lifted bringing the key blank into engagement with the cutter. The depth of the notch cut will be limited by the contact of the pin 29 with the bottom of its socket. The key is now swung away from the cutter, the disc 25 is rotated to bring series 3 opposite the pin 29, the frame !8 is moved to the left so that the pin will enter the second socket of series 3 allowing the second key notch to be cut corresponding to the depth of the socket in series 3. This process is repeated with series 4 and 2, the pin 29 being successively moved to the left to engage the sockets of each series of sockets.

It can be readily seen that the key produced will be accurately controlled both as to depth and spacing of the notches by the depth and spacing of the various sockets 21.

The basic principle of this machine is the use of a gage member, such as the pin 29, in combination with a pattern blank having receptive depressions of predetermined depth and spacing, to guide a cutter. While the preferred means for accomplishing this is the rotary code disc 25 with its radial series of sockets, it can be accomplished in many ways.

Another method is illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the disc 25 is displaced by a. pattern plate 3| having a series of vertical columns of sockets 32. The columns are spaced-apart to correspond with the key notch spacing and the sockets increase in depth as the bottom of each column is approached. The plate 3! is vertically movable in a supporting slide 33 so that vertical movement thereof will bring the socket of the desired depth opposite the gage pin 29 and horizontal movement of the key supporting frame 98 will bring the pin opposite the desired column of sockets.

In Fig. 3 still another form of gage plate is illustrated, provided with vertical grooves 34 and horizontal grooves 35. The vertical grooves give the proper key notch spacing and the horizontal grooves give the proper notch depths. The grooves are engaged at their intersections by an L-shaped gage member 36 which corresponds in function to the gage pin 25?.

Fig. 4 is a face view and cross-sectional view illustrating the socket form of Fig. 1 applied to a cylinder instead of a disc. In this form the code setting device consists of a rotatable cylindrical member 31, provided with a plurality of series of depth sockets 38 radially entering the cylindrical member 3'5. The same results are obtained with this form as by rotating the disc 25 of the preferred form of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 illustrates the groove form of Fig. 3 applied to a circular rotatable disc. The various depth grooves are out radiallyas shown at 39 and the spacing grooves are cut concentrically as shown at 40.

Another form of rotating code setting device is illustrated in Fig. 8, in which grooves 55 are cut in radial arms 4| which are free to rotate about a central shaft 52. The grooves in each arm are of the same depth and the grooves in adjacent arms increase successively in depth so that by swinging the arms to position beneath the gage pin the depth may be varied. The spacing of the notches in. the final key is determined by the spacing of the grooves in the arms M.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation and cross section of still another alternate form in which grooves d3 are cut parallel to each other about a rotatable cylinder 44. The bottom of each groove varies in depth so that a section through the bottom of a groove as taken on the line CD and presents a cam contour, as indicated at 5. The amount of rotation of the cylinder Ml can be determined by an index 46. It can be readily seen that the cylinder can be rotated to present any desired depth of groove and that the spacing of the grooves from each other will determine the key notch spacing. At the right of Fig. 5, the same principle is applied, but in this case the bottoms of the grooves present a square outline in cross section as indicated at 41, so that four different positions of rotation will present four different groove depths.

An additional form is shown in Fig. 6, in which laterally extending, parallel grooves of uniform depth are out about a cylindrical code setting member 89. Longitudinal grooves cross the parallel grooves. The longitudinal grooves are of different depths. The lateral grooves determine the depth of notch cutting and the parallel grooves determine the spacing of the notches.

While the various code setting devices have been described as being designed to receive a gauge member such as the pin 29, they could in some instances receive the key blank itself in their grooves so as to change the relative positions of key and cutter by direct engagement of key and code setting device. For instance, in the form shown in Fig. 6, the key could be placed in the various depth grooves with its back toward the bottom of the groove. The shallow grooves would then act to project the key further towards the cutter than the deep grooves.

While a specific form of the improvement has 7 been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 15:-

1. A key cutting device comprising: a supporting member; a rotary cutter carried by said supporting member; a laterally and longitudinally movable key clamp journalled in said supporting member; a gage member having plurality of spaced-apart depressed surfaces in said gage member; a gage pin projecting from said key clamp positioned to contact any desired one of said depressed surfaces, the spacing of said surfaces corresponding to given key notch spacings and the depth of depression of said surfaces corresponding to given key notch depths so that a single gage member will cooperate with a single gage pin to limit both the longitudinal and lateral movement of said key clamp.

2. A key cutting device comprising: a supporting member; a rotary cutter carried by said supporting member; a key clamp slidably journalled in said supporting member so that it may be moved either laterally to and from said cutter or longitudinally parallel to the axis of said cutter; an arm extending from said key clamp; a locating pin extending from said arm; and a rotary disc carried by said frame opposite said pin, there being a plurality of series of sockets in said disc positioned so that when said disc is rotated any de sired series of sockets may be brought opposite said pin, the sockets in each set being of uniform depth and the sockets of adjacent series being of different depths.

3. A key cutting device comprising: a supporting frame; a cutter shaft journalled in said frame; a rotary cutting disc carried on said shaft; a key clamp member; a key clamp shaft supporting said key clamp member, said shaft being parallel to said cutter shaft and. both rotatably and slidably mounted in said frame, so that said key clamp may be swung laterally to and from said cutter and longitudinally across said cutter; a rotary disc supported by said frame so as to rotate in a plane parallel to the axis of said cutter shaft, said disc having a plurality of radial series of sockets; and a gage member carried by said key clamp and engaging said sockets to limit the lateral and longitudinal movement of said key clamp.

4. A key cutting device comprising: a supporting frame; a cutter shaft journalled in said frame; a rotary cutting disc carried on said shaft; a key clamp member; a key clamp shaft supporting said key clamp member, said shaft being parallel to said cutter shaft and both rotatably and slidably mounted in said frame, so that said key clamp may be swung laterally to and from said cutter and longitudinally across said cutter; a rotary disc supported by said frame so as to rotate in a plane parallel to the axis of said cutter shaft, said disc having a plurality of radial series of sockets; and a gage member carried by said key clamp and engaging said sockets to limit the lateral and longitudinal movement of said key clamp, each series of sockets being of different depths while the sockets in any one series are of uniform depth.

5. A code setting device for key cutting machines comprising a gauge member having a plurality of spaced apart series of depressions in its face, the depressions in each series being of uniform predetermined depth and differing in depth from the depressions in each of the other series; and a gauge member mounted to selectively enter said depressions.

6. A unit indexing member, to cooperate with a gage member to locate a tool in relation to the work in any of a series of predetermined positions, having uniformly spaced rows of recesses in its face, to individually receive said gage member, the recesses in each row being of a uniform depth which differs from the depth of the recesses in adjacent rows.

7. A key cutting device comprising: a supporting member; a rotary cutter carried by said supporting member; a key clamp slidably journalled in said supporting member so that it may be moved either laterally to and from said cutter or longitudinally parallel to the axis of said cutter; a rotary code setting member carried by said frame; a plurality of rows of spaced sockets formed in said code setting member; the sockets in each row being of the same depth, the depth in each row differing from the remaining rows; a locating member fixedly mounted on said key clamp; and means for moving both said key clamp and said code setting member so that said locating member may be brought into contact with the bottom of any socket of any desired row to simultaneously determine both the spacing and the depth of the desired key notch.

FRANCIS M. GODDARD. 

